Intestinal barrier sleeve with expandable anchor section

ABSTRACT

An intestinal barrier sleeve and corresponding treatments using the sleeve are provided herein. The sleeve generally includes an expanding section coupled to a tubular section at an interface there between. The expanding section is expandable from at least a first collapsed position to at least one expanded position, where the expanding section has a conical shape that when expanded retains the sleeve in the subject gastrointestinal tract. The expanding section may further include a plurality of petal-like elements extending radially from the narrow end of the conical shape and the petal-like elements may be interconnected with a webbing to form the conical shape.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present application relates to devices and corresponding methods forthe endoscopic treatment of obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia and otherailments of the digestive system.

Obesity is a growing health concern which is estimated to be directlyresponsible for over $147B in healthcare costs or 3%-8% of the overallhealthcare costs of certain countries. Invasive therapies such asgastric bypass and stomach bands and stapling have been in use in theUnited States for years with limited success. In addition, suchtherapies often require surgical procedures, can damage the patient, andare in some cases irreversible.

A number of endoscopic therapies have been proposed for the treatment ofobesity which, unlike invasive therapies, are minimally invasive and areoften reversible. For instance, inflatable balloons have been insertedinto the stomach to decrease the accommodation of the stomach in thehopes of creating early satiety and thus decreasing caloric intake.Similarly, intestinal barrier sleeves anchored in the small intestineshave been used to decrease the absorptive surface of digestion in thesmall intestines with promising results. These therapies as currently inuse, however, are significantly limited in their efficacy as well assafety. Indeed, the failure rate for intestinal barrier sleeves isrelatively high, primarily due to patient intolerance and GI bleedingparticularly at the anchorage points in the intestines.

Accordingly, there remains a need for improved endoscopic therapies forthe treatment of obesity, diabetes and other ailments that are safer andmore versatile than existing therapies.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, an intestinal barrier sleeve is provided that includes anexpanding anchor section coupled to a tubular section at an interfacethere between at one promixal end of the sleeve, the expanding anchorsection expandable from at least one collapsed position to at least oneexpanded position, wherein in the collapsed position the expandinganchor section has a compact shape that allows the sleeve to be placedinto a subject's gastrointestinal tract endoscopically and in the secondposition the expanded anchor section retains the sleeve in the subject'sgastrointestinal tract in the stomach.

In some embodiments, the expanding section has a conical or lotus flowershape with a hole therein at a narrow end of the conical shape, andwherein the conical shape is in communication with a lumen of thetubular section through the hole. The conical shape may comprise atleast one of the following specific shapes: a bowl shape, a saucershape, a funnel shape, a trumpet shape, a bell shape, and a star shape.

In some embodiments, the expanding section comprises a plurality ofpetal-like elements extending radially from the narrow end of theconical shape. The expanding section may comprise a webbing, with thepetal-like elements coupled to each other with the webbing.

In some embodiments, the expanding section comprises a plurality ofbackbone elements extending radially from the narrow end of the conicalshape. In one embodiment, the expanding section further comprises aplurality of petal-like elements extending radially from the narrow endof the conical shape and wherein the backbone elements are joined to thepetal-like elements. The petal-like elements are comprised of a soft,non-digestible, acid-resistant, non-abrasive plastic or rubber material.

In one embodiment, the expanding section further comprises a ringstructure and wherein at least one of the petal-like elements and thebackbone elements are coupled to each other via the ring structure.

In one embodiment, the tubular section is sufficiently flexible so thatwhen the tubular section is placed such that the tubular section extendsthrough the subject's pyloric sphincter, the sleeve will not interferewith the function of the subject's pyloric sphincter.

In another aspect, a method for treating a subject with an ailment isprovided that includes the steps of: maintaining an intestinal barriersleeve in a collapsed position, wherein the sleeve comprises anexpanding section coupled to a tubular section at an interface therebetween, the expanding section expandable from at least the firstcollapsed position to at least one expanded position; placing the sleevewith the collapsing section in the first position into a subject'sgastrointestinal tract endoscopically; and expanding the expandingsection within the subject's gastrointestinal tract therewith retainingthe sleeve in the subject's gastrointestinal tract.

In one embodiment, the sleeve is placed in the subject'sgastrointestinal tract so that the expanding section is located withinthe subject's pyloric canal.

In one embodiment, the sleeve is placed in the subject'sgastrointestinal tract so that the tubular section passes through thesubject's pyloric sphincter and extends into the subject's smallintestine.

In one embodiment, the tubular section is sufficiently flexible so thatthe sleeve will not interfere with the function of the subject's pyloricsphincter.

In one embodiment, the expanding section has a conical shape with a holetherein at a narrow end of the conical shape, and wherein the conicalshape is in communication with a lumen of the tubular section throughthe hole.

In one embodiment, the expanding section comprises a plurality ofbackbone elements extending radially from the narrow end of the conicalshape.

In one embodiment, the expanding section further comprises a pluralityof petal-like elements extending radially from the narrow end of theconical shape and wherein the backbone elements are joined to thepetal-like elements.

In one embodiment, the expanding section comprises a webbing and whereinthe petal-like elements are coupled to each other with the webbing.

In one embodiment, the expanding section further comprises a ringstructure and wherein at least one of the petal-like elements and thebackbone elements are coupled to each other via the ring structure.

In another aspect, an intestinal barrier sleeve is provided thatincludes an expanding section coupled to a tubular section at aninterface there between, the expanding section expandable from at leasta first collapsed position to at least one expanded position, whereinthe expanding section has a conical shape with a hole therein at anarrow end of the conical shape, and wherein the conical shape is incommunication with a lumen of the tubular section through the hole, andwherein the expanding section comprises a plurality of petal-likeelements extending radially from the narrow end of the conical shape,the petal-like elements interconnected with a webbing to form theconical shape.

Additional aspects of the present invention will be apparent in view ofthe description which follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an intestinal barrier sleeve according toat least one embodiment of the invention in situ in a subject'sgastrointestinal track.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a proximal end of the intestinal barrier sleeveaccording to at least one embodiment of the invention with the proximalend disposed in a collapsed position.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a proximal end of the intestinal barriersleeve according to at least one embodiment of the invention with theproximal end disposed in a collapsed position.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a proximal end of the intestinal barrier sleeveaccording to at least one embodiment of the invention with the proximalend disposed in an expanded position.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a proximal end of the intestinal barriersleeve according to at least one embodiment of the invention with theproximal end disposed in an expanded position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present application provides generally an intestinal barrier sleevethat is expandable from at least one collapsed position to at least oneexpanded position for placement in a subject's gastrointestinal tract.Expansion of the expandable element results in the sleeve being lodgedin the subject's GI tract therewith functionally retaining the sleevetherein. Although this design allows the sleeve to be installed withoutthe need to affix or otherwise join the sleeve directly to the GI tract,for example, with a staple or suture, the sleeve may be so attached ifdesired. Referring to FIG. 1, in this regard, the intestinal barriersleeve includes an expanding section 106 coupled to an elongated tubularsection 104 at interface 108. When expanded, the expanding section 106generally has a conical shape with a hole therein at the narrow end ofthe conical section, which is in communication with the lumen of thetubular section 104. The type of conical shape may vary. For example,the cone may be bowl or saucer shaped, funnel shaped, trumpet shaped,bell shaped, star shaped, etc., or a combination thereof, such as abowl-star shape as shown.

The sleeve is preferably inserted endoscopically into the subject'sgastrointestinal (GI) tract so that the tubular section 104 extendsthrough the pyloric sphincter of the subject's stomach 100 into theduodenum 102 so that the pyloric sphincter acts directly onto thetubular section 104 of the sleeve at or just below the interface 108. Inthis regard, the expanding section 106 and optionally the interface 108are located within the pyloric canal of the subject's stomach 100. Onceexpanded, the expanding section 106 preferably provides sufficientresistance to retain the sleeve within the subject's GI tract withoutthe need to anchor or otherwise affix the sleeve directly to the wallsof the subject's GI tract. The tubular section 104 extends into thesubject's small intestine an amount sufficient to reduce furtherdigestion and/or absorption of partially digested food by the smallintestine. The tubular section 104 preferably extends beyond theinterface 108 by about 20 inches to about 28 inches. In this regard, thetubular section 104 is preferably impermeable with respect to partiallydigested foods. Also, the distal end of the sleeve (the end of thetubular farthest away from the stomach, i.e., opposite the interface108), may be weighted with several small focal weights on the end of thesleeve itself. This may mitigate the potential retrograde migration ofthe sleeve.

The sleeve may be manufactured from a variety and/or a combination ofbiocompatible and non-biocompatible materials, such as polyester,Gortex, polytetrafluoroethyline (PTFE), polyethelene, polypropylene,polyurethane, silicon, steel, stainless steel, titanium, Nitinol, orother shape memory alloys, copper, silver, gold, platinum, Kevlar fiber,carbon fiber, etc. Where non-biocompatible materials may come intocontact with the anatomic structure, the components made from thenon-biocompatible materials may be covered or coated with abiocompatible material. The sleeve is preferably made in part of abiocompatible polymer sufficiently flexible to allow a user to navigatetherewith though a subject's GI tract to the site of interest. Moreover,the cross section of the tubular section 104 has sufficiently thin wallsso that in conjunction with the flexibility/elasticity of the materialthe sleeve will not interfere with the function of the subject's pyloricsphincter.

The intestinal barrier sleeve, particularly the expanding section 106 iscapable of being expanded between at least two positions: a collapsedposition and an expanded position. In the collapsed position (FIGS.2-3), the expanding section 106 has a smaller profile (as compared tothe expanded position (FIGS. 4-5)) for the sleeve to be located in theGI track endoscopically, for example, through a catheter. The expandingsection 106 may be biased toward either position. That is, the expandingsection 106 may be biased toward the expanded position so that theexpanding section 106 remains expanded absent any compressive forcesplaced thereon. Similarly, the section 106 may be biased toward thecollapsed position so that the section 106 remains collapsed absent anycontrary forces. In the later, the expanding section 106 may be fixed inthe expanded position against the bias using, for example, usingmechanical interlocking components. Alternatively, the structure ofsection 106 may be deformed beyond the elastic limits of the material sothat section 106 is permanently deformed into the expanded position.

Referring to FIGS. 2-5, the expanding section 106 preferably includes aplurality of petal-like elements 202, 204, 206, 208 extending radiallyfrom the narrow end of the expanding section 106. The petal-likeelements may vary in shape. For example, the petal-like elements mayhave an almond shape, as show, an elliptical shape, a rectangular shape,etc. These shapes may have planer or concave/convex surfaces. Thepetal-like elements 202, 204, 206, 208 may further or alternativelyinclude a backbone element 214 also extending radially from theinterface 108. Backbone elements 214 may be straight or preferably havean arc so that the shape of section 106 conforms to the subject'sanatomy at site of interest. The petal-like elements 202, 204, 206, 208and/or the backbone thereof may further be coupled to each other via aring structure 402. The petal-like elements 202, 204, 206, 208 and/orthe backbone thereof may also be coupled to each other with webbing 216to form the conical shaped noted above. Finally, the petal-like elements202, 204, 206, 208 and/or the backbone thereof may terminate at theoutward end in a bulbous element 210. The bulbous element 210 may bespherical, ellipsoidal, or the like. Bulbous elements 210 may alsoinclude a through hole therein.

Referring to FIGS. 2-3, the petal-like elements 202, 204, 206, 208overlap with each in the collapsed position to allow the expandingsection 106 to be placed in a compact collapsed position. In the eventthat section 106 is biased toward the expanded position, this collapsedposition may be maintained, for example, by placing the sleeve withinthe lumen of a placement catheter. Other means may be used to maintainthe collapsed position, including securing bulbous ends 210 to eachother, for example, using the through holes therein. In these instances,expansion of section 106 in situ may be achieved by simply extruding thesleeve out from the placement catheter or otherwise removing therestrictive forces on the petal-like elements 202, 204, 206, 208 and/orthe backbone thereof at the site of interest so that the spring-likeelasticity of these elements causes section 106 to assume an expandedposition. The sleeve is preferably just as easily removed from the siteof interest endoscopically. To do so, the restrictive forces arereplaced on petal-like elements 202, 204, 206, 208 and/or the backbonethereof to draw these elements together at their outward ends. This maybe achieved by pulling the sleeve into the placement catheter orotherwise placing restrictive forces on the petal-like elements 202,204, 206, 208 and/or the backbone thereof.

Referring to FIG. 4, the petal-like elements 202, 204, 206, 208 maypartially overlap in the expanded position. As can be appreciated, theamount of the overlap will vary depending on the degree of theexpansion. Specifically, the amount of the overlap will be smaller asthe ends of the petal-like elements 202, 204, 206, 208 are moved fartheraway from each other as the expanding section 106 expands, as shown inFIG. 5. The petal-like elements 202, 204, 206, 208 and/or the backbonethereof may be hinged to the tubular member 104 at the interface 108 tofacilitate the expansion/collapse of these elements.

The petal-like elements 202, 204, 206, 208 and the webbing 216 arepreferably connected continuously so that there are no breaks in betweenin the petal-like elements 202, 204, 206, 208. This may be achieved bymolding the petal-like elements 202, 204, 206, 208, the backbone 214thereof, the webbing 216, and/or the ring structure 402 as a unit. Inthis instance, these individual elements may be distinguished from eachother by their respective thicknesses and the resulting performancecharacteristics thereof. For instance, the webbing 216 may have athickness so that it performs more like a film. That is, the webbing 216may functionally provide a flexible, impermeable layer that allows thepetal-like elements 202, 204, 206, 208 and/or the backbone thereof tomove freely essentially without appreciable restriction placed thereonby the webbing 216. The petal-like elements 202, 204, 206, 208 and/orthe backbone thereof on the other hand functionally provide the expandedposition bias noted above and also spread the load as a result of thisbias in situ on the subject's anatomy. In this regard, the dimensions ofthese elements (thickness and area) collectively allow the elements toprovide sufficient elasticity to restrict the sleeve fromunintentionally moving down the subject's GI track while also ensuringthat the load placed on the subject's pyloric canal is spreadsufficiently thereon to prevent or otherwise ameliorate the likelihoodof any complications that may result from any excessive pressure.

The present application provides generally methods for treading ailmentsusing the intestinal barrier sleeve(s) disclosed herein, includingobesity, diabetes, as well as other ailments associated with orotherwise implicating the small intestine. These treatments may begin bypreparing the subject being treated for an endoscopic procedure, whichmay include administering general anesthesia. The sleeve may then bepassed endoscopically through the subject's GI tract so that theexpanding section 106 is located in the pyloric canal of the subject'sstomach and so that the tubular section 104 extends into the subject'ssmall intestine. At this time, expanding section 106 is allowed orcaused to expand, for example, by removing any restriction on section106. For example, section 106 may be extruded out from the placementcatheter used to deliver the sleeve to the site of interest. Expansionof section 106 will keep the sleeve in place until removal is desired.The design of the sleeve allows the sleeve to be removed endoscopicallywith relative ease. To do so, the subject is similarly prepared for theendoscopic procedure and the sleeve is removed in the reverse directionfrom that in which the sleeve was placed.

While the foregoing invention has been described in some detail forpurposes of clarity and understanding, it will be appreciated by oneskilled in the art, from a reading of the disclosure, that variouschanges in form and detail can be made without departing from the truescope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An intestinal bather sleeve comprising anexpanding anchor section coupled to a tubular section at an interfacethere between at a proximal end of the tubular section, the expandingsection expandable from at least one collapsed position to at least oneexpanded position, wherein in the collapsed position the expandedsection has a compact shape that allows the sleeve to be placed into asubject's gastrointestinal tract endoscopically and in the expandedposition the expanding anchor section retains the sleeve in thesubject's stomach near the gastrointestinal tract.
 2. The sleeve ofclaim 1, wherein the expanding anchor section has a conical shape with ahole therein at a narrow end of the conical shape, and wherein theconical shape is in communication with a lumen of the tubular sectionthrough the hole.
 3. The sleeve of claim 2, wherein the conical shapecomprises at least one of: a bowl shape, a saucer shape, a funnel shape,a trumpet shape, a bell shape, and a star shape.
 4. The sleeve of claim2, wherein the expanding section comprises a plurality of petal-likeelements extending radially from the narrow end of the conical shape. 5.The sleeve of claim 4, wherein the expanding section comprises a webbingand wherein the petal-like elements are coupled to each other with thewebbing.
 6. The sleeve of claim 2, wherein the expanding sectioncomprises a plurality of backbone elements extending radially from thenarrow end of the conical shape.
 7. The sleeve of claim 6, wherein theexpanding section further comprises a plurality of petal-like elementsextending radially from the narrow end of the conical shape and whereinthe backbone elements are joined to the petal-like elements.
 8. Thesleeve of claim 7, wherein the expanding section further comprises aring structure and wherein at least one of the petal-like elements andthe backbone elements are coupled to each other via the ring structure.9. The sleeve of claim 6, wherein the expanding section comprises awebbing and wherein the petal-like elements are coupled to each otherwith the webbing.
 10. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the tubular sectionis sufficiently flexible so that when the tubular section is placed suchthat the tubular section extends through the subject's pyloricsphincter, the sleeve will not interfere with the function of thesubject's pyloric sphincter.
 11. A method for treating a subject with anailment, the method comprising: maintaining an intestinal barrier sleevein a collapsed position, wherein the sleeve comprises an expandingsection coupled to a tubular section at an interface there between, theexpanding section expandable from at least the first collapsed positionto at least one expanded position; placing the sleeve with thecollapsing section in the first position into a subject'sgastrointestinal tract endoscopically; and expanding the expandingsection within the subject's gastrointestinal tract therewith retainingthe sleeve in the subject's gastrointestinal tract.
 12. The method ofclaim 11, wherein the sleeve is placed in the subject's gastrointestinaltract so that the expanding section is located within the subject'spyloric canal.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the sleeve is placedin the subject's gastrointestinal tract so that the tubular sectionpasses through the subject's pyloric sphincter and extends into thesubject's small intestine.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein thetubular section is sufficiently flexible so that the sleeve will notinterfere with the function of the subject's pyloric sphincter.
 15. Themethod of claim 11, wherein the expanding section has a conical shapewith a hole therein at a narrow end of the conical shape, and whereinthe conical shape is in communication with a lumen of the tubularsection through the hole.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein theexpanding section comprises a plurality of backbone elements extendingradially from the narrow end of the conical shape.
 17. The method ofclaim 16, wherein the expanding section further comprises a plurality ofpetal-like elements extending radially from the narrow end of theconical shape and wherein the backbone elements are joined to thepetal-like elements.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the expandingsection comprises a webbing and wherein the petal-like elements arecoupled to each other with the webbing.
 19. The method of claim 17,wherein the expanding section further comprises a ring structure andwherein at least one of the petal-like elements and the backboneelements are coupled to each other via the ring structure.
 20. Anintestinal bather sleeve comprising an expanding section coupled to atubular section at an interface there between, the expanding sectionexpandable from at least a first collapsed position to at least oneexpanded position, wherein the expanding section has a conical shapewith a hole therein at a narrow end of the conical shape, and whereinthe conical shape is in communication with a lumen of the tubularsection through the hole, and wherein the expanding section comprises aplurality of petal-like elements extending radially from the narrow endof the conical shape, the petal-like elements interconnected with awebbing to form the conical shape.